Chapter 16
Right after the break with Barnabas, Paul has Timothy circumcised so as not to offend the Jews, since Timothy's father is Greek. So here we go. Another compromise, the very same that Paul got so riled up about that the went all the way to Jerusalem to debate, and now he requires it of Timothy. As he revisits previous stops, Paul passes on what the Jerusalem church had decided, and strengthens those churches.
2021-2 This verse:
4 As they went on their way through the cities, they delivered to them for observance the decisions that had been reached by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem. [Act 16:4 ESV]
So this tells us that central authority is not all bad. It is how they did things from the beginning. Authority to make interpretations and set the rules was, at this time, in the apostles, most of whom were at Jerusalem. Further, the church at Jerusalem was considered the central, focal church of Christianity. Appeals were to the apostles, elders, and brethren at that church. It makes sense that if those elders and brethren were trained under the apostles, then they would be best qualified to be making policy decisions. Remember too that there were no NT scriptures at this time. They had only the OT, and the law was abrogated at this point and didn't necessarily apply to anything, they had this new far-reaching freedom in Christ, they had to deal with "all things are lawful for me". But the thing was, there was major disagreement within the church on certain matters - circumcision being one of them. And to keep the church together in a Godly and perfect way, sometimes decisions had to be made on subjects not covered in scripture. This was about prayer, the Holy Spirit, and Christian Unity. It can also happen today. We have the NT, so a lot of things these people struggled with now have instructions in scripture. Hmm...they made the decisions as best they could, but now those decisions are codified in scripture. What was a peace-keeping measure is now the way things must be done.
Even after the Jerusalem council decided that circumcision was not required, Paul circumcises Timothy. He didn't do this as his own rebellion against the council. But he realized that more could be accomplished by this than by uncircumcision. It was a move of expediency, and likely Timothy had a choice. Paul never intended to make it universal policy. But like James Hudson Taylor, he adapted to local custom that he might reach the locals with the gospel. We have to remember that we have more freedom than we think we do. We need to watch the rules we try to impose.
2022 - So the first part of this second journey is as a messenger from Jerusalem, in addition to continued teaching and preaching. It says the churches were strengthened in the faith as a result of Paul's second visit to them.
2024 - It is clear that Timothy was not circumcised to comply with Mosaic Law. He was circumcised so the Jews would have one less thing for which they could criticize him. His father was Greek...so Timothy was a pagan. But circumcision made him a proselyte in the eyes of those who would otherwise have accused him. But it was never ever about salvation or requirement.
2024 - Since it was Paul that carried the decrees (or the decisions) of the Jerusalem Council. Peter was still in Jerusalem. But clearly, Peter was not the one in charge there. James was head of that church, though most of the apostles attended there. Why would you make Peter the first Pope, when he submitted to the authority of James?
As they travel, the Holy Spirit directs them. The wording is that the Spirit forbade them to go to Asia or to Bithynia.
2022 - So they continued to Troas. Troas is a new place, not visited on the first journey and well along and further than anywhere they've gone before. They are getting further and further from Jerusalem, and I would think there were fewer and fewer Jews...but that may not be so.
But then Paul has a vision that sends him to Macedonia. To the Greeks.
2022 - Paul has this vision while he is in Troas. He could have turned south from there and stayed in Turkey - and he does go to the these cities to the south along the coast in a later journey. But at this time God leads him to skirt around the north end of the Aegean Sea and go into Macedonia. Some of the early part was likely by ship as Turkey and Macedonia are not strictly connected by land. We will see if the details of their travel plans are available.
2025 - I think there is a lesson here in vss 6-10. They were prevented by the Holy Spirit from going into Asia. Then the Spirit of Jesus prevents them from going into Bithynia. But when they get to Troas, Paul has a dream about what he is to do. When the Spirit says no, it is because there is a God-blessed plan that goes in another direction. We ought not be disappointed when we cannot go where WE think we should go, understanding that a much greater good is accomplished when we are in the will of God for our fruit bearing. We see this verified in just how fast and trouble free they get all the way to Phillippi in Macedonia. Got makes their way straight.
2022 - This verse:
10 And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them. [Act 16:10 ESV]. Note the pronouns. "we" sought to go, God had called "us". This tells us that Luke traveled with Paul and Silas on this trip, but he really never says that he was there in the text. We know that Luke was from Antioch, so likely as they went through there, Luke joined them. It is also interesting that we are told nothing of their visit to Tarsus, Paul's own home town. Did they stay with his relatives there or was he not welcome?
2022 - They did indeed sail from Troas to Samothrace, which is not on my missionary journey map...It is a little island out in the Aegean. So they stopped there, probably just overnight, and continued the next day to Neapolis, on the mainland, and then they went right away to Philippi. A very large city was Philippi.
They go to Philippi. They land elsewhere and then travel, but they move unerringly to Philippi, the leading city, and a Roman colony. Apparently there is no synagogue here. They preach by the riverbank, and Lydia is saved and baptized. They agree to stay with her.
They meet a slave girl who had a spirit of divination (a demon that had ability to foretell?) and was used by her masters to make money. She pesters them for days, though her pestering is to announce that Paul and Silas are messengers of the Most High God. She apparently is so vocal that she prevents their preaching. So Paul, in anger, casts out the demon.
2022 - Interesting that it says Paul got so annoyed that he cast the demon out. Why didn't he do so in the first place? Was his anger "spiritual"? Did the Spirit have him throw out the demon? Hard to figure why he let it go on so long. Did he make a mistake in not throwing it out immediately or in getting mad about it? Or did he do exactly as he was supposed to? Luke does not speculate on this. In any case, they end up in prison that night.
The girls owners are angry now, having lost their source of revenue. The whole town is incited against them. The charge is that Paul and Silas are teaching things that are not lawful for Romans to do. So it is not the Jews this time so far as we can tell. The charges are not specific either. Maybe they are saying to only worship one God, while Roman law says to worship many, and also to worship the current emperor. Was that a Philippi thing? They are publicly stripped, then beaten, then thrown into an inner prison.
2023 - We saw a little earlier in the pronouns used that Luke was apparently with Paul and Silas at this time. Was Luke also beaten and imprisoned, and is too modest to say so? Or was he just off to the side, recording events, and so was not perceived as part of the problem. Never noticed this before...but we ought to wonder where exactly Luke spent this night. It is very clear from Luke's use of "we" that he was in Philippi with Paul and Silas. And...where had they dropped Timothy? He started out with them, but where is he now? Is he mentioned anywhere later on this journey? Ahh...in vs 19, her owners specifically seized Paul and Silas. Luke was still there with them, but apparently was not seen as part of the problem. The pronouns are very clear that Luke was not in prison, and that "they" were only Paul and Silas. I see no way to put Timothy in prison with them. Luke would have said so. Hard to get a handle on where Timothy was though.
There is a midnight earthquake. The jailer is urged not to kill himself, because all the prisoners are still in the prison. None has chosen to take advantage of the open doors the earthquake unlocked. He asks how to be saved. Paul gives him the short answer in this verse:
31 And they said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household." [Act 16:31 ESV]
2022 - Surely vs 31 is where it starts. The gospel cannot be distilled to less than this. So simple. Just believe in the Lord Jesus. Lord. Jesus. AFTER all the additional talk, to both the jailer and his household, THEN they are baptized.
It goes on to say that they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to his entire household. So much more was said, and we don't know just what exactly.
2023 - It is interesting that several presentations of the gospel in Acts begin with "believe". But it also seems that a lot of preaching takes place after that. I think a lot of other things get filled in before these people are saved. In this case, look at vs 32: 32 And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. [Act 16:32 ESV]. So beyond "believe", they talked to him probably about "Lordship", about faith alone, about Christ alone, about the prophesies of Jesus in the Old Testament....it would vary from case to case depending on the background of the one wanting to be saved and their specific knowledge of scripture. You wouldn't say the same things to an unsaved person in Niger who'd never even heard of Jesus as you'd say to one in a church school who'd been in Sunday School their whole life. We ought not consider "Believe" to be the whole gospel. Is that why the birds can snatch it away? If the only part of the message that is proclaimed is "believe", what is there really to build on? Maybe "believe" is the door, but it is the rest that is foundation. So...if we say that, then the rest of the jailer's family got a much bigger picture, and perhaps a completely different message. Maybe these "decided" to follow Christ, but their actual regeneration was somewhat later and Luke just lumps it all together as if it all happened in one night with this man's entire family. I guess what I'm getting at is that we so very often view salvation as an instantaneous thing, and we forget that it is a lifetime process. We are "being saved", though we are saved. Lots in Grudem about this process that I would like to read again.
The magistrates apparently realize they've gone too far with the beatings an imprisonment, and sent word to let Paul and Silas go. But Paul refuses, and requires the magistrates themselves to come and apologize for what they've done. They themselves have violated the law by beating un-condemned men. There is enough truth in this that they do come, and they do apologize, and then Paul leaves in peace. Is this Paul's pride at work? Or was this the right thing to insist upon?